Oakland County, Michigan (July 23, 2003) -- The Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended that arts education programs at the U.S. Department of Education receive $35 million in fiscal 2004, an increase of $1.3 million over current spending.

The House recently approved a bill with no arts funding at all for the Department of Education. With respect to the Office of Museum Services, however, the House was more generous than the Senate, giving the agency $33.9 million, an increase of over $5 million, while the Senate gave it no increase over 2003. Department of Education and Office of Museum Services funding are both contained in the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

For further information please visit http://www.AmericansForTheArts.org